Homilies2nd SUNDAY OF ADVENT: JOHN THE BAPTIST AND HIS PREACHING OF REPENTANCEMk 3:1-12
BLESSED POPE PAUL VI once said: “Modern man does not listen to preachers. If he does listen to preachers it is because they are witnesses” (see EN 41).
The Second Sunday of Advent brings us the person of John the Baptist, the preacher who was listened to by the people of his time because he had been a true witness. It is interesting to note that the Catholic Church has given John a special place in our Advent liturgy. If Advent is about preparation for Christ’s coming, then that preparation can be had through reflection on the person and the brand of witnessing of John the Baptist.
Let us look through once again the Matthaean passage and examine the person and witness of John the Baptist.
First of all, John is depicted in the gospel as a man of the desert. The first line of the gospel says that John was “preaching in the desert of Judea….” Now what is something special about a desert? A desert, like a mountain, is a place where one can commune himself with God. It is a privileged place for spiritual leaders, like John. In fact, one contemporary spiritual writer named Carlo Caretto also followed john’s path by spending moments of prayer in the Saharan desert. The desert experience for them had been enriching. Our world today with all its circumstances has made us a very busy people. Students and workers alike, for instance, leave at five o’clock in the morning and come back at six in the evening or worse at a later time. Some have articulated it well that life now has become too stressful. This situation calls us to withdraw to a “desert”, to a place where we can commune ourselves with God.
Second, John is a man of simplicity. His witnessing can be seen in the simplicity of clothing that he wears (camel’s hair) and in the food that he eats (locusts and honey). John does not clothe himself in the garments of the leaders of his day. Just as his robes are simple so do his food. In our world characterized by consumerism and commercialism, there is never any room for simplicity. At times we are obsessed with the latest fashion, latest gadgets and latest products. Buying and possessing things would make us happy for a while but in the end we realize that these things never give us the satisfaction that we long for. And worse, obsession simply clouds our minds and precludes us from focusing on important things. John reminds us to be simple in this Advent season. A simple lifestyle makes it easier for God to enter into our lives.
Third, John is a man of truth. The prevailing truth of his time: conversion and repentance as necessary requirements for entering God’s kingdom. His message is exceedingly radical, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” John is fearless in proclaiming this truth. When the Pharisees and Sadducees came to him, he told them fearlessly, “You brood of vipers!…….. Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance!” We may find it difficult to follow the path of John because we have this tendency to please people, and to hurt them is the last thing we would ever do. By doing this, we allow people to perpetuate their sinfulness and consequently, the road to conversion has never been possible.
The problem of repentance lies on people who are callous. St. John Paul II saw in the modern people the loss of the sense of sin while Pope Benedict XVI describes this as the loss of the consciousness of sin. The observation of these two popes is undeniably true. In one of the retreats I had facilitated, I told the retreatants the evils of corruption, pre-marital sex, abortion etc.. But, unfortunately, most people would simply justify themselves. They seem to insinuate that if there are several people doing a sinful act, it may not be considered a sin. In this situation, people would never feel guilty at all.
This appalling situation calls for a return to the basics of Christianity. It invites us to go back to that olden piety which suggests that a worthy reception of the Eucharist demands a state of grace. Perhaps, the important thing that we would do is to remove our callousness. If there is something that I admire from people during John’s time it would be their ability to listen and to obey. With a simple preaching of John (“Repent!”), the people instantly responded. This is something that we lack. How many of us have cared to heed the call to conversion? I just wonder how many times should a priest say, “Repent!” before people could admit that they have sinned and appreciate the sacrament of reconciliation.
Indeed, modern man does not listen to preachers of repentance. But if he listens to them, it is because he values Christianity.
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